


Her Story

by Pure_oblivion



Category: Harley Quinn (Cartoon 2019), Harley Quinn (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Joker stole Ivy's backstory and that is not ok, POV Harleen Quinzel, harlivy - Freeform, pamela isley needs a hug, so lemme give you a rewrite of what should have been
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24135694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pure_oblivion/pseuds/Pure_oblivion
Summary: Harley learns that Joker stole Ivy's story during her time in Arkham and realises that the little pieces she knew about him might not be true at all.AKAthe flashback episode suggested that what the Joker said about his past is a lie, and that he actually used Ivy's story to get to Harley.
Relationships: Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley & Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel
Comments: 8
Kudos: 159





	Her Story

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme give yall something :')

Harley huffed loudly as she exhaled a heavy breath, her chest falling steadily with it. She’d been in Harleen mode for over an hour now and it was becoming rather exhausting. Describing the feeling as irritation would be an understatement, and hatred might even be too far. It was whatever, Harleen decided, as she shook her head to settle back into her psychiatrist state. 

Tapping her foot against the rough flooring of the mall, Harley began to deeply analyse Joker’s words from years ago, back when she first began working at Arkham. Back when Batsy and the remainder of the police department were desperate to find the bomb, Harleen was thrown into the clown’s cell to retrieve the location of the lethal device. Her face twisted and turned at the memory, clearly recalling how ‘Little Italy’ ended up blowing up right in front of their eyes. Lots of blood. 

That wasn’t important right now, though. Understanding just where Joker began to lie was. 

It was still early in the morning and Harley was already awake, which was unusual and incredibly out of character. Without a doubt, if Ivy was to see her here, the woman would be concerned- 

“Harls?” 

Oh.

Oh no. 

Turning around slowly, Harley cracked a hesitant smile once her gaze locked with Ivy’s emerald eyes. 

“Yes, hello--I mean good mornin’, Red.” 

_Yeah, that’s not good. You’re stutterin’, you massive idiot._

What was she so frightened of, exactly? It wasn’t like Ivy was going to hurt her. Sure, the woman could get angry sometimes, Harleen’s time at Arkham was proof of that, but the redhead’s feral rage was never directed at her. No. All Harley ever received from the Plant Queen was endless kindness and support, a path to better people and grand opportunities. Not once had she ever been hurt by her. 

But Harley was afraid of wandering to certain places of Ivy’s past…

The blonde knew there was a reason as to why Ivy never shared much about her past in group therapy when Harleen worked with her. She shied away from the subject, did everything and anything to avoid it. Hell, she even got angry sometimes, ensuring that Harleen was to never ask anything like that again, and so from then on, Harley never pushed on about Ivy’s father. 

But right now, because of their conversation yesterday, there was no avoiding it. 

Joker...Ivy said he stole the story of Mr Farris. He wasn’t even a ferret, but rather a plant. It left Harley wondering just how much of Ivy’s story the clown man stole exactly. The things he said about his father…could it be--could it be Ivy’s origin? 

Did he beat her to a pulp? 

Suddenly, Harley’s fingers twitched as her limp hands formed into enraged fists. Although her mind pleaded for the image in her head to be erased, her body remained stiff, preparing itself to rip Ivy’s father to shreds if all that was true and he was still walking on this planet, breathing its air--

“Harley, honey, you don’t look too good.” Ivy calmly noted, though her tone didn’t match the expression she wore because her eyes were a little frantic. 

Harley’s stance relaxed, her shoulders sinking while Ivy’s hand came to rest on top of them, “Red, I’ve got a question.” The hesitation was rather evident, that much Ivy could tell. 

Squinting, the redhead nodded apprehensively, “Sure, shoot. Metaphorically speaking.” 

“Ya know how Mistah J stole your story about Mister Farris. Was the rest of it true? Was the story he shared with me yours?” She breathed out too heavily. 

It didn’t take long for Ivy to tense up beside her, “What did he tell you?” She questioned quietly, and it was becoming more evident that Harley was beginning to wander into dangerous territory. 

_She didn’t tell you much about herself for a reason. Stop asking-_

“He caught his Pa in bed with a maid, and then his Pa beat him fer it.” 

A sense of sudden and bitter cold hit her, so Harley turned to the side, only to realize that it was the absence of Ivy’s hand on her shoulder that made her feel incredibly icy. The redhead’s touch was solemn and warm, it made Harley feel safe in ways she couldn’t begin to express. 

After a long pause, Ivy turned around on her heel and sighed, “That’s my story, Harleen. Not his. And it shouldn’t have been his place to tell you that about me.” 

Harley didn’t miss the slight quiver in Ivy’s voice. It wavered and shook, but the redhead maintained a solid stance, evidently hesitating to appear more vulnerable than she was. Eventually, the words Ivy uttered had registered, and Harley couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt that nauseous. 

_So her father beat her--beat her to a pulp when she was a child? A small little girl who just wanted someone to love-_

Harley didn’t realize she had been shaking, “You were just a little girl-” She began, but was swiftly cut off by a strong voice. 

“Well, little girls don’t stay little forever,” Ivy told her, “They grow into strong women who destroy the lives of people like him.”

“He hurt you…and killed Mister Farris, your first plant and the only friend you’ve ever had. The only living thing you loved…” Harley whispered after adding multiple pieces together, slowly growing to realize the psychology behind Ivy’s hatred for humans, and just how deeply it was ingrained within her roots. 

If rough hands were to strike her ever since she was little, Harley couldn’t imagine loving people like she did now. 

Hell, Harley Quinn would hate the entire world. 

But Pamela Isley grew to love it and protect it. 

“He did, and in return, I hurt people who hurt the environment. I hurt people who kill it, who step on it, who don’t cherish it enough. I’m its chosen protector.” Ivy seethed, “I was a little girl who wanted a plant to hold, and my father, a reckless human, took that away from me and I was angry, Harls. I was drowning in rage, wanting to release it. So I became this.” She held a single green hand in front of her face, “I became mother nature itself.” 

Harley was somewhat aware that the rage wasn’t what caused Ivy’s transformation, it was something more sinister than that…but she decided not to question it. Learning what she had today was more than enough, and one would be blind to let Ivy’s shakiness go unnoticed. 

“It’s okay to be a little less than tough.” Harley told her, and the redhead was yet to turn around. She was almost certain Ivy never would, but there was always enough room for surprises. 

Tears were the first thing Harley noticed when Ivy came to face her, then the slight tremble of her hands…

“Come here, Ive.” Harley didn’t wait, instead she bolted forward and wrapped her arms around Ivy’s frame, squeezing until there was no air between the two of them, “I love you. Me, a human, loves you for who you are. I love you, Poison Ivy, Pamela Isley. I love the little girl who was afraid, and I love the strong woman who fears nothing. I love all of you. Every single fuckin’ inch. From yer head to toes.” 

With a hint of hesitancy, Ivy tugged away, though her watery eyes remained glued against Harley’s, “You were the first human who I trusted after my transformation.” She admitted, but Harley was already aware of that. Nonetheless, it meant a lot. 

Harley never knew what it was like to be important to someone until Poison Ivy came along in all her glory. And from that, she learned that being important was difficult, that it hurt, but above all else, it was incredibly rewarding. 

Harley Quinn was a simple girl in the presence of a woman who wanted to send the human species to extinction, and yet there she was, looking at a blonde human like she was her entire world. Like mother nature wanted to protect her. She cherished the very same thing she'd been aching to destroy.

“I know humanity means something now.” Ivy murmured after a brief pause, “It’s not all that terrible.” 

Harley giggled a little and sent a playful wink Ivy’s way, “It really isn’t but hey, if ya ever need help eradicating a few pollutants from the office, I’m yer girl!” 

Ivy almost snorted at that and somehow still managed to roll her eyes through the laughter that settled in the air. Harley decided that it was the most beautiful melody this Earth had to offer. 

“I’ll keep your offer in mind.” 

“I’m sorry about what happened to you, by the way,” Harley placed a hand on Ivy’s shoulder to keep her glued in place, “You didn’t deserve that. Yer father is a prick.” 

Ivy nodded in agreement, “It’s okay now. That was a long time ago.” 

“Trauma doesn’t just vanish.” There was Harleen again, “It needs work.” 

“You helped me, remember?” Ivy had the pleasure of reminding. 

“It never hurts to get a little more help.” As soon as that sentence left her throat, Harley was tugging them down towards the couch, forcing Ivy to sit down.

The redhead audibly sighed with another roll of her eyes, “Harls, I didn’t ask to be therapized.”

“Ya asked me to be your psychiatrist.” She winked in return, although it didn’t seem to really entertain Ivy as the woman continued to remain slumped and distant. 

“I think you left Harleen Quinzel behind a long time ago.”

For a moment there, Harley believed her, but after a short pause she shook her head and tapped against her forehead, “She’s still in there somewhere.” 

Both women broke out into a laughter fit, gently pushing each other with their elbows playfully. It took a while for them to calm down, but once they did, the uncomfortable silence returned. 

“What else do you want to know?” 

Harley ached to know about her transformation, but that was evidently off limits so she did her best to refrain from asking. 

“That time when ya caught yer Pa with the maid, was it the last time he hit you?” 

Ivy seemed to ponder for a moment as she crossed one leg over the other, sitting more formally than Harley despite their current power imbalance, “No,” She shook her head, “Although it was one of the worst ones. I can’t recall for how long his fists collided with my skin and bones, it could have been five minutes or hours for all I know. I lost track of time. Then, when he left me a crying and a whimpering mess, he knew he didn’t have to worry about me telling my mother.” 

“And yer Ma..she never questioned the bruises?” Harley pressed on.

Ivy scoffed, a small laugh escaping her, but her eyes remained glossy, “He never touched my face.” She shifted slightly, “Besides, I doubt she would’ve noticed or cared. Welcome to the Isley household.” 

“I’m sorry, Ives.” Harley carefully wrapped an arm around Ivy’s waist to tug her in closer, “Well, ya have me now and I won’t let anyone touch a hair on yer head. That’s a promise.” She watched as Ivy inhaled sharply before continuing, “Cross my heart and hope to die.” 

And with the way Poison Ivy watched her, Harley was certain she would die for her too. That was a given. 

Harley knew her story, and Ivy knew hers. 

In a way, they were unbreakable.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated! :) Thanks all


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